With Documents: Violations by the Minister of Education in the Government of National Unity Lead to Sentencing and Imprisonment Orders

The Public Prosecution announced this evening that the Tripoli Court of Appeal has convicted the Minister of Education in the Government of National Unity, sentencing him to three years and six months in prison, along with a fine of 1,000 LYD. Additionally, he has been stripped of his civil rights for the duration of the sentence and for one year after its completion. The conviction is due to violations of the principle of equality and the practice of favoritism and nepotism in managing the contracting process for printing and supplying school textbooks.

Revealing Administrative and Legal Violations

Our source had previously published an exclusive document—a letter from the Director of Inspection and Follow-up at the Prime Minister’s Office to the Director of the Office of the Minister of State for Prime Ministerial Affairs. The letter detailed administrative and legal violations within the Ministry of Education, specifically those committed by Minister Musa Al-Magariaf.

The document highlighted the unauthorized disbursement of 2.8 million LYD, deducted from the education budget of municipalities in 2022 and transferred to escrow accounts without providing the required supporting documents. Furthermore, the procurement committee’s meeting minutes were altered multiple times without approval from the Administration and Financial Affairs Department, and payments were processed while the department director was on emergency leave.

The report also revealed that the Ministry’s Tender Committee was dissolved before the completion of the 2024/2025 textbook printing and supply project. Additionally, the digital procurement platform had not been activated since January 1, 2023, with procurement procedures being handled outside the system, except for the textbook project, which was only listed due to pressure from the Tender Committee chairman. Moreover, financial allocations were repeatedly directed toward specific companies and entities.

Irregularities in Procurement and Asset Management

The document also exposed irregularities in the allocation of ministry-owned vehicles. A Hyundai Santa Fe (white, plate number 5/2099957), previously flagged in the 2022 Audit Bureau report as stolen, was allocated to the minister’s brother, Saleh Muhammad Al-Magariaf. Similarly, a Hyundai Creta (gray, plate number 5/2096696) was assigned to an individual with no affiliation with the Ministry, Muhammad Faraj Milad Al-Shamli.

Additionally, individuals with no official ties to the Ministry were sent on international missions, including Muhammad Faraj Milad Al-Shamli. The minister’s brother, Saleh Al-Magariaf, was appointed as Director of the International Cooperation Office despite being absent for months without leave or delegation of responsibilities. Nonetheless, he received full compensation, including housing allowances.

Furthermore, legal and international cooperation office decisions were deliberately withheld from the Ministry’s electronic system, making it impossible to track official correspondence. The Procurement Committee consistently engaged with select companies, awarding them contracts repeatedly.

Failure to Complete School Furniture Procurement and Budget Mismanagement

Despite finalizing the procurement process for school desks in August 2023, deliveries have not been made, prompting the Prime Minister’s intervention. Additionally, the disbursement of municipal education budgets was delayed until August 2024, despite funds being available since April 2024.

A sum of 12.5 million LYD from previous years was reallocated, benefiting the same companies repeatedly engaged by the Procurement Committee. The minister’s advisor, Abdel Salam Ahmed Al-Saghir, who was previously detained on public fund embezzlement charges, was repeatedly assigned to international missions and sensitive committees.